Gérard Thibault d'Anvers

Who was Gérard Thibault d'Anvers?

Gérard Thibault d'Anvers was a Dutch fencing master and author of the 1628 rapier manual Academie de l'Espée. His manual is one of the most detailed and elaborate extant sources on rapier combat, painstakingly utilizing geometry and logic to defend his unorthodox style of swordsmanship.

Academie de l'Espée describes a unique system of combat whose closest known relative is the contemporary Spanish school of swordsmanship, also known as La Verdadera Destreza, as taught by masters such as Don Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza and Don Luis Pacheco de Narváez. Not unlike the Spanish, Thibault advocated the use of the rapier with the sword arm almost fully extended during most actions. However, Thibault differed from his Spanish counterparts in many areas, including his preferred stance and grip.